U.<o/ 


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WILLIAM  JAY  SCHIEFFELIN 


PRESIDENT 


THE  AMERICAN  MISSION  TO  LEPERS 
U.  S.  A.  News  Notes. 


FLEMING  H.  REVELL 


TREASURER 


At  Last,  after  meeting  many  obstacles,  the  site  lias  been  selected  for  the 
Federal  Leprosarium.  The  Louisiana  State  Colony  has  been  purchased  and  will 
be  expanded  as  rapidly  as  practicable.  This  brings  joy  almost  unspeakable,  for 
after  these  years  of  uncertainty,  a  United  States  Hospital  and  Home  will  care 
properly  for  all  our  friends  with  this  disease.  One  of  the  first  needs  is  for  a 
larger  Protestant  Church  that  will  harmonize  in  character  witli  the  other  build¬ 
ings  and  the  Catholic  Church  already  there.  The  small  Protestant  chapel  was 
built  several  years  ago  under  the  impression  that  another  site  would  be  selected 
for  this  Federal  Hospital.  The  superintendent  of  the  Colony  has  been  appointed. 

.  he  else  in  the  whole  wide  world  could  fill  the  place  just  like  Dr.  O.  E.  Denny, 
graduate  of  Pennsylvania  University,  who  was  for  six  years  in  charge  of  the 
largest  leper  colony  in  the  world,  at  Culion,  Philippine  Islands.  His  place  in  the 
Philippines  will  be  hard  to  fill,  but  he  will  be  a  great  asset  to  this  work  in  the 
United  States. 


Bethany  Cottage. 

A  Home  for  thirty  Leper  Women,  Chiengmai,  Siam — built  by  the  Women’s 
Interdenominational  Missionary  Union,  Washington,  D.  C. 

Mr.  Fleming  H.  Revell  has  been  appointed  to  represent  the  American  Mis¬ 
sion  to  Lepers  in  the  Missionary  Conference  called  for  Shanghai,  China,  next 
spring. 

“McDonald”  has  found  a  place  “where  He  Can  Go,”  for,  thanks  to  the 
good  work  done  in  his  behalf  by  Bishop  Hughes  and  Dr.  Robbins  of  Boston, 
and  Mr.  Danner  representing  The  Mission  to  Lepers  the  Massachusetts  Legis- 


lature  passed  a  special  bill,  permitting  “McDonald”  to  be  admitted  as  a  patient 
in  the  Massachusetts  Leper  Colony.  He  is  now  in  a  comfortable  cottage,  a  happy 
resident  of  Pcnikese  Island  where  he  will  remain  until  he  becomes  a  cured 
patient,  or  until  arrangements  are  made  for  transfers  to  the  new  Federal  Hos¬ 
pital  at  Carville,  Louisiana. 

NEWS  FROM  AFAR. 

A  Chinese  Official  has  given  $5000.00  with  which  The  Mission  to  Lepers 
has  bought  an  island  off  the  coast  of  South  China.  On  this  site  a  model  colony 
will  be  established  and  maintained  for  the  benefit  of  the  thousands  of  leper  people 
of  that  district.  The  size  of  the  colony  will  be  determined  by  the  resources  that 
may  be  offered.  Money  and  helpers  are  needed  now  for  this  attractive  oppor¬ 
tunity  to  serve  the  Chinese  in  a  large  way. 

Sam  Higginbottom  is  here  from  Allahabad,  India,  and  wants  a  new  bun¬ 
galow  for  the  Superintendent  of  the  Untainted  Children’s  Home  at  Naini.  When 
some  one  said  “In  your  Leper  Village  you  are  working  up  a  blind  alley,”  he 
replied,  “I  am  following  just  behind  Jesus  Christ.” 

New  Pictures  of  the  Mary  Stoner  Leper  Village,  Chiengmai,  Siam,  are 
very  interesting.  She  is  a  widow  woman  who,  by  careful  saving,  sent  us  money 
to  build  ten  cottages.  One  sanitary  cottage,  caring  for  two  patients  can  be  built 
in  Siam  for  $150.00,  and  Dr.  McKean  says  it  will  last  150  years,  probably  more. 
Ten  of  these  cottages,  built  by  Mrs.  Stoner’s  money,  provide  homes  for  twenty 
outcast  lepers.  At  the  dedication  of  the  Mary  Stoner  Village  the  Prince  and 
other  officials  were  present  and  said  this  was  a  great  object  lesson  to  a  non- 
Christian  land.  They  brought  a  grant  of  5000  ticals  from  His  Majesty’s  Gov¬ 
ernment  in  aid  of  the  Asylum.  The  day  closed  on  a  happy  group  of  Lepers  put¬ 
ting  away  their  meagre  possessions  in  the  neat  little  cupboards,  and  lighting  the 
fires,  for  their  evening  meal,  in  the  convenient  brick  stoves  with  which  each  cot¬ 
tage  is  provided.  Isn’t  this  better  than  a  memorial  stone  in  a  cemetery,  seldom 
visited? 

CHRISTMAS  GIFTS. 

Letters  of  Thanks  for  Christmas  Gifts  sent  to  the  Leper  Homes  last  year, 
have  been  recently  received.  From  all  of  these  we  get  most  inspiring  messages 
of  thanks  to  the  donors  who  made  the  sending  of  gifts  possible. 

At  Nasik,  Bombay  Presidency,  they  decided  to  buy  a  set  of  Indian  Musical 
Instruments  for  tlieir  Rirtans.  A  Rirtan  is  a  combination  of  Bible  Stories  and 
Songs  by  which  the  Bible  is  brought  to  the  Lepers  in  a  form  that  appeals  to 
them. 

At  Dhar,  India,  they  bought  clothes  for  some  men  who  had  newly  arrived 
and  who  came  practically  naked,  and  also  provided  a  special  treat  of  food  for 
all  the  patients. 

Bankura  chose  a  gramaphone  of  “His  Master’s  Voice”  make.  They  also 
have  some  records  with  English  hymn-tunes,  which  help  in  the  teaching  of  Bible 
songs. 


At  Tarn  TaAan  the  Superintendent  added  48  Rupees  to  the  80  sent  and 
bought  Kurtas,  and  jackets  for  all. 

Mary  Reeij  of  Chandag  held  her  check,  needing,  this  fall,  three  times  as 
much  to  buy  a  really  good  warm  woolen  garment  for  each  of  her  sixty  leper  men, 
rcomen,  and  children.  She  says  they  have  missed  this  “comfort”  for  five  years, 
because  of  the  Kaiser’s  wickedness.  Will  we  let  them  miss  it  still  another  year? 
Her  words  are: 

“Please  convey  to  the  kind  donors  of  the  Rs  00  my  heartiest  thanks  for  their 
gifts  which  were  intended  for  Christmas  1919,  and  the  assurance  that  these  tokens 
of  their  practical  interest  in  the  Master’s  work  are  greatly  appreciated  by, — 

Yours,  in  His  blessed  service, 

Mary  Reed.” 


A  partial  view  of  the  Mary  L.  Stoner  Leper  Village,  Chiengmai  Asylum,  Siam. 


Rawal  Pindi  send  thanks  for  the  timely  help,  enough  to  buy  a  sheet  for 
each  inmate.  They  say,  “The  Indian  uses  a  sheet  for  a  great  many  purposes. 
He  wraps  himself  in  one  at  night  in  lieu  of  a  mosquito  net  to  keep  off  the  mos¬ 
quitoes.  He  uses  it  to  wrap  up  purchases  from  the  bazaar,  to  clothe  himself  with 
in  the  day-time,  etc. 

I  sent  the  evangelist  to  the  bazaar  and  found  a  kind  of  sheet  which  cost 
Rs.  80  for  39  sheets  and  then  I  had  enough  money  left  to  buy  a  brightly  colored 
handkerchief  for  each  leper  and  each  servant  in  the  asylum.  These  articles  were 
accordingly  distributed  on  Tuesday  afternoon  and  it  would  have  done  the  hearts 
of  the  donors  good  to  see  how  delighted  the  poor  creatures  were  with  their  gifts. 
They  salaamed  again  and  again.” 


The  Ramaciiandrapuram  patients’  allowance  is  reduced  and  they  needed 
extra  food  in  famine  days,  fruit  to  cool  themselves  with,  a  special  diet  to  prepare 
the  Deaconess  for  an  operation,  etc.,  so  they  thank  the  Lord,  and  you  His  mes¬ 
sengers,  for  the  sweet  surprise  and  ask  God  to  bless  each  one  of  you.  The  sum¬ 
mary  is : — 

Rupees  50  for  buttermilk  for  lepers  and  children,  for  3  months. 

50  “  fruit  allowance  of  2  annas  each,  a  month. 

25  “  a  shady  pandel  for  just  the  lepers. 

5  “  deaconess’s  diet. 

5  “  the  pastor’s  daughter’s  wedding  present. 

5  “  the  Helper’s  boy’s  little  new  son. 


Rupees  140  Total. 

Mr.  Manry  for  Allahabad  Home  assures  the  givers  their  money  brought 

O  J  o 

great  happiness  and  will  for  a  long  time  to  come.  It  provided  a  magic  Lantern, 
an  alarm  clock  for  each  Home,  Boys  and  Girls,  and  clothes  for  untainted  girls 
badly  in  need. 

At  Salur,  India,  they  bought  a  hand  harmonium,  ordered  a  pair  of  cymbals 
and  a  drum,  and  send  their  grateful  thanks  and  salaams  for  the  kind  gift. 

One  Home  needed  sweetening  most  of  all  and  bought  a  little,  coarse  sugar — 

1 1  •  f> 

jagry- 

BE  IT  KNOWN  TO  ALL. — The  Mission  desires  to  send  at  once  practical 
“Holiday  Greetings”  to  all  Leper  Homes.  Needed  articles  are  soap,  blankets  and 
sandals,  (bandages,  medical  supplies,  food  and  clothing  are  always  in  demand.) 
The  articles  should  not  be  sent  if  it  is  possible  to  send  money  instead.  Good 
American  dollars  will  buy  much  more  right  on  the  ground  than  here.  Special  ar¬ 
rangements  are  being  made  to  secure  quantities  of  soap.  The  price  of  a  box  of 
soap  is  not  a  large  item,  but  even  a  child  may  send  a  cake  of  . soap  if  not  a  box. 

The  cost  for  sandals  is  30c  to  50e  a  pair,  needed  to  keep  the  leper’s  mutil¬ 
ated  feet  from  contact  with  the  bare  ground.  Blankets  bought  in  the  native 
markets  will  cost  from  two  to  three  dollars.  A  blanket  will  warm  the  body  as 
well  as  the  heart  of  one  leper  all  winter.  The  society  makes  an  appeal  for  these 
genuine  Christmas  gifts  so  that  every  worker  among  the  lepers,  and  every  leper 
under  the  Christian  care  of  the  Mission,  shall  know  they  were  remembered  in  love 
by  the  folks  in  America  at  Clmstmas  time. 

Offerings  for  this  Leper’s  Christmas  Day  will  be  received  and  acknowledged 
by  any  Representative  or  by  Mr.  Fleming  H.  Revell,  Treasurer,  The  American 
Mission  to  Lepers,  Inc.,  15C  Fifth  Avenue.  New  York  City.  General  fund  gifts 
should  be  sent  to  the  same  address. 

GENERAL  NOTE.  Please  remind  all  helpers  and  representatives  of  The  Mis¬ 
sion  to  Lepers  everywhere  that  American  friends  are  now  asked  to  provide  an  annual 
budget  of  $219,150.00  or  the  equivalent  of  $25.00  each  hour  of  the  day  and  night  for 
America’s  share  of  this  round  the  world  task. — Even  FIVE  DOLLARS  will  take  a 
twelve  minute  share  of  this  annual  budget. 


